Earthwise Resources

VPPSA Schedules

World Water Monitoring Day is October 18th

The global hydrologic cycle produces the world's supply of clean, useable water. Both life and health are at stake
in many parts of the world where water quality is diminished. The greatest impacts on the world's water supply are from lack of
understanding, inadequate resources, misuse, and the use of improper and inappropriate practices during commerce and recreational
activities. "Since the world's water supply is constantly recycled through natural processes over vast geographic expanses, water
quality truly becomes a worldwide issue." (Roberta Savage, America's Clean Water Foundation)

Citizens and organizations from around the world are invited to share in the water quality monitoring activities that will take
place on the first annual World Water Monitoring Day 2003. From September 18th to October 18th, citizens will have an opportunity
to monitor the quality of their local watersheds and share that information by entering the results into an international database.
On October 18th, volunteers will celebrate World Water Monitoring Day together.

"World Water Monitoring Day is about raising awareness at the global level of the importance of water to us all and the quality of
the environment in the local community. World Water Monitoring Day is a perfect example of thinking globally and acting locally."
(Andrew Speers, www.epa.gov)

To ensure that citizens around the world have clean water for domestic, recreational, agricultural, and commercial uses, the US EPA
is partnering with the International Water Association and America's Clean Water Foundation to urge people around the globe to test
the quality of their streams, lakes, wetlands, and coastal waters. Volunteers of all ages will measure temperature, pH, dissolved
oxygen, and turbidity/clarity.

In 2002, over 75,000 people across the US participated in National Water Monitoring Day at over 3600 monitoring sites. How did
Virginia stack up?

The State of Virginia topped the country in the number of sites registered (623) as part of National Water Monitoring Day. Many
partners actively participated, including the Department of Natural Resources, Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries, James River
Watershed Association, educators and citizens. There were 1,483 participants in Virginia alone. Activities included:

Water Quality Monitoring Celebration for Teachers and Citizens held at Pocahontas State Park

Virginia Watershed Management Conference in Roanoke

Watershed Assessment Teacher Workshop at the Virginia Tech Museum of Natural History in Blacksburg.

Water monitoring events in Fairfax County (Potomac River), Guest River, Clinch River, and James River (to name a few).

The Mill Mountain Zoo celebrated "Clean Water at the Zoo" in Roanoke. Local citizens were able to bring plastic products that
were then recycled, rather that ending up in the state's waterways.